The present invention relates to a composition and method for correcting a dietary deficiency, including an inadequacy of phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals.
Many people fail to practice healthy eating habits, such as consuming an adequate quantity and variety of food to meet U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances. Only 22% of the subjects of a National Cancer Institute Study consumed the recommended daily number of dietary servings of fruits and vegetables—despite the fact that the recommended dietary intake of fruits and vegetables is well-known. For example, The California Daily Food Guide: Dietary Guidelines for Californians, California Department of Health Services (1990) recommends that each person consume at least five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables per day, including one serving of a vitamin A-rich deep green or dark orange fruit or vegetable, and at least one serving of a vitamin C-rich fruit or vegetable. Additionally, it is well reported that each person should consume at least 3 servings per week of vegetable protein in the form of legumes, nuts, or seeds. Some researchers suggest that a target of 400 grams (13 ounces) of fruits and vegetables is a sensible goal for the optimal quantity to be consumed daily. In terms of variety, it is recommended that persons should eat at least three different colors of fruits and vegetables daily.
The benefits of consuming a sufficient amount and variety of fruits and vegetables are many. For example, consuming fruits and vegetables has been shown to treat and prevent a variety of degenerative diseases. In a prospective cohort study of 41,837 postmenopausal women, the association of fruit and vegetable consumption with lung cancer risk was investigated. The researchers found that the risk of lung cancer was approximately halved when the consumption of fruits and vegetables increased from 24 or less servings to an excess of 48 servings per week. Similarly, the risk of lung cancer was approximately halved when the consumption of green leafy vegetables, including spinach and parsley sources, increased from 1 or fewer servings to six or more servings per week. Steinmetz, K. et al., “Vegetables, Fruit, and Lung Cancer in the Iowa Women's Health Study,” Cancer Res. 53:536-43 (1993). Another study found that an increased intake of fresh tomatoes (a major source of lycopene) was associated with a pattern of protection for all sites of digestive tract cancer. Stahl, W. et al., “Lycopene: A Biologically Important Carotenoid for Humans?” Arc. Biochem. Biophys. 336:1-9 (1996).
In addition to fruits and vegetables, herbs also provide health benefits. For example, the herb, rosemary, contains antioxidants such as carnosol, which may play a preventive role in cholesterol oxidation. Likewise, the herb, basil is known for its antioxidant activity. Like fruits and vegetables, however, the dietary intake of beneficial herbs is unsatisfactory.
Further research has shown that the typical U.S. diet is lacking in phytochemicals. Phytochemicals generally refer to plant-derived compounds which, when taken daily in combination with vitamins and minerals, provide improved cardiovascular and bone health, an improved antioxidant profile, decreased free radical damage, and overall enhancement of the body's natural defense system.
The typical diet, especially the U.S. diet, includes an inadequate amount and variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs, as well as the phytochemicals and associated antioxidants present in these materials. A typical diet is similarly deficient in necessary vitamins and minerals associated with fruits and vegetables. Although conventional multivitamins can supplement western diets with needed vitamins and minerals, many of these multivitamins fail to provide phytochemicals that target free radicals in the body and thereby improve the antioxidant profile of the supplement.